# Optional text + field RegEx with filters in Logstash

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/optional-text-field-regex-with-filters-in-logstash/292151>\
**Category:** Logstash\
**Created:** [December 16, 2021, 12:39pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/optional-text-field-regex-with-filters-in-logstash/292151 "2021-12-16T12:39:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![rodri.gz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aca169/32.png) [@rodri.gz](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/rodri.gz)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2021, 12:39pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/optional-text-field-regex-with-filters-in-logstash/292151/1 "2021-12-16T12:39:48Z")

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Hello!

how can i set a text I use as locator as optioanal with regular expresions or grok ??

For example :

```auto
2021-12-15 13:50:34,589 INFO Parámetros enviados a XXXXXX:
	accion : YYYYYYYYYYY
	mesNacimiento : YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
	ape2 : YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
	accionProsa : YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
	tipoServicio : YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
	log : yyyyyyyyy.YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
	ape1 : YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
	anioNacimiento : YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
	nombre : YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
	diaNacimiento : YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

```

I have tried with this grok pattern:

`(?m)%{TIMESTAMP_ISO8601:Fecha} %{LOGLEVEL:LogLevel}%{DATA}(?:accion : (%{USERNAME:Accion})?)%{DATA}(?:accionProsa : (%{USERNAME:AccionProsa})?)%{DATA}(?:tipoServicio : (%{USERNAME:TipoServ})?)`

but it dissapears when i set the fields as optionals and i delete one of those fields.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Badger](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/badger/32/25190_2.png) [@Badger](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Badger)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2021, 4:17pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/optional-text-field-regex-with-filters-in-logstash/292151/2 "2021-12-16T16:17:57Z")

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I would suggest using an array of patterns, like [this](https://github.com/logstash-plugins/logstash-filter-multiline/tree/main/lib/logstash/filters).

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**Author:** ![yaauie](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/yaauie/32/23363_2.png) [@yaauie](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/yaauie)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2021, 5:17pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/optional-text-field-regex-with-filters-in-logstash/292151/3 "2021-12-16T17:17:54Z")

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Another approach would be to capture the _entire_ key/value sequence to a temporary field, then to use the [KV filter plugin](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/logstash/current/plugins-filters-kv.html) to parse the arbitrary set of key/value to their own fields.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2022, 5:18pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/optional-text-field-regex-with-filters-in-logstash/292151/4 "2022-01-13T17:18:36Z")

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